PTI cries foul over alleged abduction of lawyer Ali Zaman

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday condemned the alleged abduction of lawyer Ali Zaman from Rawalpindi by unidentified men, saying the issue raised concerns over law and order and the safety of public officials.

“According to reports, lawyer Ali Zaman and his brother have been kidnapped by unknown persons in three unregistered vehicles. We strongly condemn this cowardly act and demand the immediate rescue of lawyer Ali Zaman and his brother and that strict action be taken against the elements involved in the kidnapping,” reads a statement issued by the party’s Central Information Department on X.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said Zaman was a member of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council and a Supreme Court lawyer.

He said his alleged abduction was “very concerning, reprehensible and a clear violation of the law”. Gohar said Zaman was a senior lawyer who was respected and revered in the legal community and demanded his immediate release.

“Journalists, lawyers and every citizen are today under the grip of fascism. Ali Zaman is an elected member of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council and an important part of PTI’s legal team. His kidnapping is an attack on the process of getting justice,” said PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja.

PTI MNAs Junaid Akbar and Asif Khan said the alleged abduction was a “reflection of the worst lawlessness and the law of the jungle”, adding that the incident was “highly intolerable and condemnable”.

They said the protection of lawyers was the responsibility of the state and said human rights organizations and the public should immediately raise their voice against the “atrocity”.

“This is a very sad and condemnable incident which shows a serious violation of the rule of law in the country. Unfortunately, the law of the jungle prevails in the country where the powerful do their bidding and people’s lives and property are not safe.

“The government, which is responsible for the protection of life and property of its citizens, but the fake Form 47 government has completely failed to provide security to its citizens,” said PTI MNA and former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser.

KP Assembly Speaker Babar Swati said the incident was “not only an attack on the rule of law but also a moment of reflection for the entire judicial system”.

He further said that “this attack in vehicles without number plates is a reflection of the worst lawlessness. Human rights institutions and the public should not remain silent in the face of this grave atrocity.”

KP Law Minister Aftab Alam demanded Zaman’s immediate release, saying the alleged arrest was a “blatant violation of human and fundamental constitutional rights which cannot be accepted under any circumstances”.

KP Local Government Minister Meena Khan Afridi termed the incident as a “direct attack on the writ of the state”.

“I strongly condemn this brutal and cowardly act!! Ali Zaman is a powerful, effective and fearless voice against the system of oppression, hypocrisy and fascism who has always stood firm in front of this oppressive system and has spoken the truth.

“Targeting lawyers is actually taking the entire justice system hostage. If the lawyers themselves become unsafe, then there is no guarantee of justice for the common citizen,” he said.

The minister demanded human rights organizations, civil society and political activists to raise an immediate and effective voice against “this oppression and to expose these unknown people and bring them to justice”.

“This culture of disappearing people cannot continue. It is a stain that will be very difficult to forget. Ali Zaman must be released now,” said former KP Finance Minister Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra.

Akbar posted a video on X of a protest in Peshawar for Zaman’s release.

PTI leader Irfan Saleem also called upon workers and supporters to reach Assembly Chowk to protest against the alleged abduction.

PTI-affiliated accounts later said he was released, but no official account or official confirmed this yet.